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CHINA: Raft the Upper Mekong River One of National Geographic Adventure's 50 best adventure travel trips for 2006! One of National Geographic Traveler's 50 Tours of a Lifetime! This trip took top honors as Outside magazine’s 2006 Asia Trip of the Year! You’ll feel like you’re in another world as you tackle the Upper Mekong’s Class III/IV rapids through a magical landscape of snowcapped peaks, picturesque hillside monasteries and villages, and Tibetan prayer flags streaming across the waters. The physical and cultural rewards are infinite: the most exhilarating part of the rafting is through the Moon Gorge, a chasm as narrow as 30 feet across with Class III/IV rapids, while a side trip to a remote Tibetan village on the slopes of the sacred Khawa Karpo range affords views of snow-clad mountains, glaciers, and an intimate glimpse into the everyday life of these proud people. We made the first commercial raft descent of the river in 2005, and every subsequent expedition meets our partnership objectives with FLOW (For Love of Water) in providing alternative economic means in Yunnan through sustainable eco-tourism for the future. TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
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 Itinerary: Raft the Upper Mekong River Day 1 - Arrive in Kunming, China, capital of Yunnan province. Afternoon sightseeing. Day 2 - Fly to Gyalthang, a frontier town at 10,000 feet on the southeastern edge of the Himalaya. Day 3 - Drive to Dechen on an old caravan route to Tibet through the Yangtze Gorges, stopping at Dhondrupling Gompa en route. Continue through the Baima Nature Preserve, one of the most important biodiversity spheres of the Three Parallel Rivers region (now celebrated as a UNESCO Heritage Site). Day 4 - Drive to Xidang, stopping for a hike to a glacier along the way. Day 5 - Hike up 4,000-5,000 feet to the Tibetan village of Yubeng (~12,000') on the slopes of the Meili Snow Mountains. Overnight with a home stay in local Tibetan homes. Day 6 - Explore the high valley, including a hike through a spectacular forest of rhododendron and azalea (which should be in full bloom!). Day 7 - Hike back to the river and the boats. Day 8 - Our put-in is right beside a large monastery. Today we raft 8-10 miles of Class III/IV rapids down to our camp at the village of Ninong.
Days 9-10 - Raft Class III/IV rapids through breathtaking Moon gorge, where the Mekong narrows at one point to just 25 feet in width, making for a wild ride through the canyon! Days 11-12 - Continue below Moon Gorge, enjoying more fun Class III/IV rapids, great views, and big beaches for camping. Day 13-14 - Take out and drive to Gyalthang via Dechen. Day 15 - Fly to Kunming and depart. Detailed Itinerary - CHINA: Raft the Upper Mekong River 1. Download detailed itinerary in a PDF format 2008 Detailed Itinerary (PDF files require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. This program can be downloaded for free from the Adobe Website.) 2. Or email us your itinerary request at sales@mtsobek.com 3. Or call us at 1-888-831-7526 (USA and Canada) or (510) 594-6000 We’ll email you a copy (Word or Acrobat document), fax, or mail you the itinerary as you prefer. For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 USA Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526 Phone: +1-510-594-6000 Fax: + 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com |
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